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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — to point toward
  4. firm — decided
  5. stock — shares
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to confront
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com